The first individual race of the 2026 UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Hulst, the Netherlands, saw last year’s silver medalist beat the 2025 champion, Czech Barbora Bukovska catching up in the penultimate lap to wear the rainbow jersey on the podium. Canada’s Alexa Haviland carved her way through the field from 19th to 9th.
Preliminaries
Last year Rafaelle Carrier earned bronze, +1:43 to French victor Lise Revol, who was this season’s Junior World Cup winner. Revol and Czech 2025 silver medalist Bukovska were the favourites.
The Canadian contingent was Alexa Haviland and Claire Mackinnon.
Dutch rider Rianne Nieuwenhuis snagged the hole shot but Revol almost immediately took over. The Canadians got caught up on a pileup on the flyover. Nynke Jochems replaced Nieuwenhuis as the Netherlands rider in Position 2. Bukovska was delayed. Italy’s Giorgia Pellizotti and Brit Zoe Roche joined Jochems in the main chase of the French rider, who finished the first circuit with a 10-second buffer. Haviland was 19th and Mackinnon 34th.
Jochem began to lag a bit on Lap 2 of 5, as Revol slightly increased her gap. Not only did Buskova begin to make inroads on this circuit, joining the chase, but so did Haviland, who crossed the line in 12th. Mackinnon had sifted down to 39th.
Bukovska started to push on the middle lap, distancing Roche, who joined Bukovska’s compatriot Lucie Grahova. Soon Bukovska could see Revol. Haviland rounded a French girl to take over ninth.
On the penultimate lap Bukovska crept closer, keeping the fire lit under Revol. Grahova dropped the other podium hopefuls. Bukovska caught Revol just before the line. Game on! When Gravoha looked over her shoulder at the finish line she crashed into the barriers. Haviland’s ninth was safe by four seconds.
Bukovska dumped Revol at the start of the bell lap and gunned it for the win. Gravoha recovered quickly and took bronze.
2026 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Junior Women
Gold) Barbora Bukovska (Czechia) 44:55
Silver) Lise Revol (France) +0:15
Bronze) Lucie Grahova (Czechia) +0:35
9) Alexa Haviland (Canada) +1:54
33) Clare Mackinnon (Canada) +5:36
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